Template



June 27, 1939. J. G. DICKSON TEMPLATE Original Filed Jan. 12, 1937 IN VENTOR. Job/2 6. fl/tkso/z ATTORNEY,

Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 12, 1937, Serial No. 120,229

- Renewed November 21, 1938 Claims.

My invention relates to a template which is adjustable throughout so that it may be used for copying the outline of practically any figure or object, therefore having practically universal adaptation for various forms of structures.

Second, to provide a template of this class which when adjusted to a particular form will rigidly maintain such adjustment to be used for all practical template purposes;

Third, to provide a template of this class which is particularly adapted for copying the various forms of structural steel or sheet metal such as automobile frames and metal body parts or the like;

Fourth, to provide a template of this class which is reversible and may be used either side up as desired;

Fifth, to provide a template of this class which may be readily operated in use by one person;

Sixth, to provide a template of this class in which a single template may be used to take the place of a large number of templates prepared for certain purposes; and

Seventh, to provide a template of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, easy to operate and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my template complete showing its use on a curved outline; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing some of the parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 3 is a sectional view from the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing some of. the parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing the shiftable bars secured rigidly against shifting by solid lines and showing by dotted lines the position when released and free to shift; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing by solid lines the bars free to shift, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through the middle of the handle members showing some of the parts in elevation to facilitate the illustration.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawing:

The main stationary supporting member I, shiftable bars 2, shiftable bar clamping members 3, latch rod 4, stationary handle member 5, shiftable handle member 6, latch member I, latch member spring 8, clip member 9, end members In and l I constitute the principal parts and portions of my template.

The main stationary supporting member I is a channel member of the desired length, from three to four feet being preferable for ordinary purposes, but may be any length desired. It is provided with holes la through the normally upper and lower web members of said channel member in which are shiftably mounted the shiftable bars 2 which are preferably round hollow members. These shiftable bars 2 are provided with rubber tips 2a at their opposite ends to form a cushion to prevent scratching finished surfaces. Wound around each of the members 2 between the channel webs are the bar clamp members 3 which consist of spring wire wound around the members 2 with one end extended through the body of the channel member I as shown at 3a in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The other end is extended some dis- 25 tance and is provided with a right angled turned end 321 which is mounted in the latch rod 4 as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawing, thus providing means for clamping the members 2 in certain relation to the member l with the shifting 30 of the latch rod 4 and releasing the same so that said rods are free to shift when the rod 4 is shifted in the opposite direction. This rod 4 is provided with a universal joint member M at its one end in which is mounted a universal joint ball member 6a which is provided with an extended guide portion 612 into which is mounted an adjusting screw 60, the head of which rests against a collar 6d and mounted over the collar lid is the bifurcated portion lie of the shiftable han- 40 die 6. This shiftable handle member 6 is pivoted at 6 on the stationary handle member 5 which is rigidly secured to the end plate ll provided with an open space 5a to permit the ready movement of the bifurcated portion 6e of the handle 6 upon its pivotal mounting 6 thus providing means for shifting the latch rod 4 backwardly and forwardly for clamping and releasing the rods 2. Mounted at the opposite end of the member I and secured thereto is the end member l0 and positioned inwardly from this end member II] in the webs of the channel member. I is the latch member I which is journaled on the screws la and lb so that the latch member I is pivotally mounted between the webs of the channel members I.

Positioned in engagement with the latch member I and with the end member I8 is a compression spring 8 which tends to close the latch I in closed position as shown by solid lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing. This latch member is provided with a handle portion ((2 which is adapted to be pressed by the thumb of the operator for releasing the latch. The member 4 is provided with a notch portion 4b which is adapted to engage a lug portion 10 on the latch i when the member 4 is shifted toward said latch member.

Mounted over the open side of the channel member I adjacent the free side of the latch I is a clip member 9 which serves to hold the latch end of the latch rod 4 in position and also serves as a stop for the inward movement of the latch I when it is in engaging relation with the end of the rod 4.

The operation of my template is as follows: the template is placed in a vertical position. The handle members 5 and 6 are grasped by the hand and the shiftable handle member 6 is shifted toward the member 5. This releases the latch member I and with the thumb on the left hand this latch member is shifted outwardly as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing; then the handle member 6 is released and all of the rods 2 are freely shiftable in the member I. The device then is placed against any form it is desired to copy and the ends of the members 2 take the form of the outline to be copied, after which the handle member 6 is pressed toward the member 5 and the latch I pressed inwardly into engagement with the end of the rod 4 and the template is ready for use for copying the form, the rods being clamped by means of the clamp members 3 so that they cannot shift.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination, and arrangement by desire to include in the scope of my invention, the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a template, a main stationary supporting member, a plurality of bars shiftably mounted in said stationary supporting member, and a spring clamp member wound around each of said shiftable bars and in connection with said stationary supporting member for separately securing each of said bars relatively to said stationary supporting member.

2. In a template, a main stationary supporting member, a plurality of bars shiftably mounted in said stationary supporting member, a spring clamp member wound around each of said shiftable bars and in connection with said stationary supporting member for separately securing each of said bars relatively to said stationary supporting member, and means communicating with each of said spring clamp members for simultaneously clamping or releasing said clamp members.

3. In a template, a main stationary supporting member, a plurality of bars shiftably mounted in said stationary supporting member, a spring clamp member wound around each of said shiftable bars and in connection with said stationary supporting member for separately securing each of said bars relatively to said stationary sup porting member, rod means communicating with each of said spring clamp members for simultaneously clamping or releasing said clamped members, and latch means in connection with said rod for securing said rod in clamping position.

4. In a template, a main stationary supporting member, a plurality of bars shiftably mounted in said stationary supporting member, a spring clamp member wound around each of said shiftable bars and in connection with said stationary supporting member for separately securing each of said bars relatively to said stationary sup porting member, rod means communicating with each of said spring clamp members for simultaneously clamping or releasing said clamped members, latch means in connection with said rod for securing said rod in clamping position, and shiftable handle means in connection with said rod for shifting said rod.

5. In a template, a main stationary supporting member, a plurality of bars shiftably mounted in said stationary supporting member, a spring clamp member wound around each of said shiftable bars and in connection with said stationary supporting member for separately securing each of said bars relatively to said stationary supporting member, rod means communicating with each of said spring clamp members for simultaneously clamping or releasing said clamped members, latch means in connection with said rod for securing said rod in clamping position, shiftable handle means in connection with said rod for shifting said rod, and a stationary handle member secured to one end of said support contiguous to said shiftable handle member to facilitate the supporting of said template and the shifting of said shiftable handle member.

JOHN G. DICKSON. 

